I am U Ne Oo, an Australian of Burmese Origin and also the founder and secretary of Network for International Protection of Refugees (netipr.org). I have been engaged in human rights campaigns for Burma as well as those of refugee in Australia since 1992, soon after the completion of degree at Adelaide University.

I am writing to you regarding with the prolonged detention of asylum seekers in the Republic of Nauru and Independent State of Papua New Guinea. I understand that Australian Government made a unilateral decision, i.e. without making consultations with UNHCR, to send those asylum seekers to offshore detention centres. I am seeking clarifications on the Australian Labor Party's policy position as regards to those asylum seekers.

No doubt you are aware current Liberal/Coalition Government's initiatives in trying to resolve the issues of those asylum seekers offshore. I take it that initiatives such as Cambodian resettlement deals are made purely for publicity purpose. However, some of the initiative seems to me a bit more substantive in nature. For example, few months ago, Julie Bishop went to Iran, asking that country to have taken back some Iranian asylum seekers. Again last month, the Coalition Government was seen approaching the Government of Philippines to have asylum seekers transferred.

My question to you, as the spokesperson for Australian Labor Party in these matters, is exactly what are the ALP's position as regards to those asylum seekers detained in Nauru and PNG? Is ALP going to keep them in a continue detention ? Or are they going to be re-screen and bring back to Australia ? Or is ALP planning the case-load in the whole lot to hand over to the UNHCR ?

I am seeking an honest and straight-forward answers from you as regards those asylum seekers. As you see, I live in Ryde and in the last election, me and my wife had voted for Australian Labor Party candidate whom we didn't even know the name in person; but assuming the ALP might be better option for all those asylum seekers and migrants. However, given the ALP's recent stance on issues such as boat turn back policies, we needed to be better informed about the Australian Labor Party's policy position.

Things in Nauru and PNG are very disturbing to me personally, and as I said, I am seeking an honest and straight-forward answers from you. Thank you for your time.
Yours sincerely,